Games out this week: Hitman Absolution, Epic Mickey 2, LEGO LotR

A week after the colossus that is Black Ops 2 releases, there comes a trio of games offering something different, from stealthy assassinations to cross-platform brawling and a pair of creative and colourful platformers.

The first new Hitman game in six years, Hitman: Absolution will offer a more personal story, improved enemy intelligence, a new 'Instinct' mode that will help players blend into certain roles, and the multiplayer-styled 'Contracts' mode.

LEGO Lord of the Rings is the latest in the best-selling LEGO games based on much-loved movie and comic franchises. Not only does it give J. R. R. Tolkien's story a LEGO twist, but it recreates it with an open-world fleshed out with side-quests and collectables.

This Super Smash Bros-style fighter pits Sony's biggest heroes against each other, from Nathan Drake to Ratchet, Sackboy and Fat Princess, alongside third party characters Dante from Devil May Cry and Raiden from Metal Gear Solid. There is also cross-platform play between the PS3 and Vita versions.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is a follow-up to the 2010 Wii exclusive platformer, one that aimed to take the family-friendly Disney mascot into darker and more adult pastures. The sequel is coming to new systems and offers two-player co-op, a better camera, more permanent story choices and a more animated, musical approach to narrative.